New England Lighthouses

Hospital Point Light (Beverly, MA) Ready for the Holidays

2011-12-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Coast Guard Auxiliary has been busy preparing Hospital Point Light for the holidays. In addition to the six-foot diameter wreath that is usually put up, the lighthouse team also constructed a star that was also placed on the tower. This year the wreath was placed on the street side, instead of the water side of the tower, to enable people walking or driving by to see it. The star, which is over six feet from point to point, was placed on the water side. Both the wreath and the star have lights on them.

In November, the Essex National Heritage Commission announced their "People's Choice Award" winners.

Every year, the Commission presents these awards to Trails & Sails events based on participant feedback. The "People's Choice Awards” represent the top ten events this year as voted on by participants. The Lighthouse Team at Hospital Point Light was selected as one of this year's winners. This year, over 100 event hosts opened their doors and scheduled more than 190 events to connect people to the special places and organizations that comprise the Essex National Heritage Area. The team received a certificate of appreciation for public display.

- Phil Karwowski

"Lighthouse Keeper" by Neptune's Car

2011-10-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

It was my pleasure to produce a new music video for the song "Lighthouse Keeper" by Neptune's Car (Holly Hanson and Steve Hayes). For more on Neptune's Car, visit their website.

The Ghosts of New London Ledge

2011-10-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

Strange events were said to be commonplace in the Coast Guard era at New London Ledge Lighthouse, at the mouth of the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. Doors opened and closed themselves; the TV turned itself off and on. A deck “swabbed itself.” Coast Guard Officer in Charge Randy Watkins said he once heard his name being called from an upstairs room when the other crewman was asleep.

Watkins’ wife Lucretia spent a night in the master bedroom and said she was awakened when the door opened, followed by “the eerie feeling of someone in the room, staring.'’ And one time two fishermen secured their boat and came inside for a visit. The men laughed at talk of a ghost, but stopped laughing when saw that their boat had been untied and was drifting away.

These and many other odd happenings were invariably attributed to “Ernie,” who has become probably the best-known lighthouse ghost of the Northeast. Author William O. Thomson has written that Ernie would turn on the foghorn, and that he sometimes polished brass or cleaned windows. Actual ghost sightings were rare, and supposedly only visiting women have ever seen the lighthouse’s ethereal resident.

The story usually used to explain Ernie’s origins follows. There are some variations in this story depending on who’s doing the telling, and I make no guarantee that any part of the story is true.

In the 1920s or ‘30s a new keeper came to New London Ledge Light. The keeper’s true name isn’t known, but he was known to all as Ernie. Ernie had a new young wife, half his age, who lived in New London while he stayed at the lighthouse. What started as a happy marriage dissolved into bitter despair and desperation as the young woman pined for a normal life with her husband.

One bleak day, Ernie found a letter left by his wife, telling him that she had run off with the captain of the Block Island ferry. The keeper’s will to live was crushed. Some say he jumped from the roof of the lighthouse to his death below, while others say he drank himself senseless and then accidentally fell to his death. Some claim that he made an oath before his death to avenge himself in some way.

Nobody has uncovered evidence that these events ever occurred at the lighthouse, and there’s no record of a keeper named Ernie. And the lighthouse was always a “stag” station, so it’s unlikely that any keeper’s wife lived with him at the station for any extended period of time. This seems to be a case of a story being fabricated to explain the unexplainable, or maybe a case of young men with too much time and too much imagination on their hands. But there may be reasons to believe that this lighthouse has indeed been the scene of paranormal activity.

In December 1981, Dr. Roger Pile, who calls himself a “ghost psychologist,” visited the lighthouse along with his wife, who acted as a medium. According to the Piles, the spirit revealed itself to be a keeper named John Randolph. Once again, there are no records of any keeper by this name. The Piles reported that Randolph had never been married, but that he had lost the woman he loved because of a terrible argument. The distraught keeper proceeded to stab himself in the throat, falling from the lighthouse to his death. Pile performed a ritual that was supposed to free Randolph’s spirit, and a newspaper soon reported that ghostly activity had ceased. A November 1985 article in the New London Day disputes this.

The automation and destaffing of New London Ledge Light had been scheduled for 1986, and according to the article the Coast Guard crew claimed that Ernie had apparently become agitated over the coming change. Charles Kerr said that papers on his desk rearranged themselves, and Paul Noke’s bed moved around the room by itself. Noke said he eventually started sleeping on a couch after tiring of the moving bed. Only one of the crewmen at the time, Steven Bailey, expressed doubt about Ernie’s existence. If he kicks me out of bed and throws me down the stairs,” said Bailey, “I’ll leave.”

Stories of unexplainable events continue to emanate from New London Ledge. In the book Haunted Lighthouses and How to Find Them by George C. Steitz, Brae Rafferty of the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation offered an alternative to the “Ernie” story to explain the origins of the resident ghost or ghosts. Rafferty had met a woman whose grandfather helped build the lighthouse. According to the woman, the strange phenomena at the site started before the lighthouse was even completed, with eerie sounds, weird shadows, and tools that vanished during construction.

Rafferty’s research showed that there was a shipwreck on Black Ledge about a decade before the lighthouse was built. Many of the dozen or so passengers died, including a newly married young woman. The woman’s husband desperately combed the nearby shores but found no sign of his beloved. Witnesses then saw the man walk slowly out into the water toward Black Ledge until he disappeared and drowned. So – if you’re inclined to so believe – a spirit may have been already waiting for a place to haunt when the lighthouse was built.

And there’s still another story offered to explain the strange goings-on here. According to a brochure produced by Jerry Olson of the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation, “It has been said that around 1913-1914, a sailboat departed New Jersey bound for New Bedford.” The sailboat passed through Long Island Sound, where it ran into a tremendous northeast storm. According to the story, late that night the lightkeeper looked into the water and saw a man and a woman swimming, trying desperately to reach the lighthouse. After helping them ashore, he learned that their sailboat had capsized and they had tragically lost their daughter in the wreck.

Early the next morning, the keeper arose and went to check on his guests. To his astonishment, he found no trace of the couple. Days later when the seas calmed down and the keeper reached shore, he was told by friends that they had rescued a young woman who said that her parents had been lost in a sailboat wreck. But this woman, too, had mysteriously vanished.

Photo by Christine Kaczynski

“It has been said,” concludes the brochure, “that on particular dark nights, a spirit has been observed roaming the lighthouse searching for a loved one. Over the years people have encountered the spirit and have named her ‘The Lady of the Ledge.’” Jerry Olson claims that he has had a personal encounter with this mysterious Lady. One day while he was alone in the basement of the lighthouse, cleaning the cisterns, Olson says he heard the distinct sound of a woman clearing her throat behind him. He says he immediately had the image of an attractive middle-aged woman in his mind’s eye, but upon turning around he saw nothing.

In recent years paranormal investigator Christine Kaczynski has visited the lighthouse on several occasions with assistants and sophisticated equipment including cameras, motion detectors and an oscilloscope. Kaczynski is a no-nonsense woman who puts no stock in the “Ernie” legend or in Dr. Pile’s investigation, but says her investigations clearly show the lighthouse to be the scene of much spirit activity. She says the third floor is the “vortex” of the activity, and that the northeast corner of the building is the most active. She also says that the spirit or spirits are benign and not at all dangerous, although one person did feel strongly that someone “didn’t want them there.”

New England Ghost Project; Maureen Wood on the right

In August 2006, members of the paranormal investigation team called New England Ghost Project spent a night at the lighthouse. No ghost appeared, but the team’s psychic medium, Maureen Wood, apparently made contact with an angry male spirit. The entity claimed he was a worker performing maintenance on the roof of the dwelling, and that his coworkers locked him out as a prank. As he attempted to get inside, he slipped and fell to his death. The accident, said the spirit, was covered up by those involved. There’s no hard evidence to support this story, but it offers an intriguing alternative to the usual tale of “Ernie.”

Block Island North Light (RI) restoration wins award

2011-10-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Photo by Rob Gilpin

Block Island North Light was one of four restoration projects to win this year's Rhody Awards, which are chosen annually by Preserve Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission.

The restoration of the North Light began in 2008. The lantern was removed from the building and transported to Georgetown Ironworks in Massachusetts for a complete overhaul. After work on the building and lantern was completed, the lantern was returned to its home in the summer of 2009. A fourth-order Fresnel lens, on display for years in the lighthouse's interpretive center, was returned to the lighthouse's lantern room. A ceremony to relight the North Light as a private aid to navigation took place on Saturday, October 23, 2010.

The award was presented on October 14 at the Rhode Island State House in Providence. The project was honored as "an effort that prioritizes materials conservation, environmental stewardship, and community involvement in historic preservation practice."

A complete list of the award recipients is available here.

Sheffield Island Light (CT) relit after more than a century

2011-10-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

By Norwalk Seaport Association

Norwalk, CT - Thanks to the generous support of NRG Energy, Inc., the Norwalk Seaport Association will light the 143-year old Sheffield Island Lighthouse for the first time in over 100 years. A commissioning ceremony will be held on Monday, October 17, 2011 at 2:00pm to light the tower light, as well as to turn on the newly refurbished electrical system on Sheffield Island.

Staff from NRG’s Norwalk Harbor Station, Devon Station and CT Jet sites have worked closely with the Norwalk Seaport Association for the last two years, donating their time and expertise to rebuild the island’s electrical system. NRG also donated and installed a safe, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly solar photovoltaic (PV) generating system to power the island in place of the former gasoline-powered generators. The island’s old and obsolete lighting system was also replaced with low-energy lighting, and solar-powered walkway lighting was added for safety and accessibility.

A highlight of the project was the installation of a United States Coast Guard approved low-energy light in the Lighthouse tower. While the white light will not be used as an aid to navigation, it will be visible intermittently from the Connecticut side of Long Island Sound.

Norwalk Seaport Association President Tom Shrum says the project would never have happened without NRG. “We’re grateful to NRG for their generosity and the great work they’ve done. We have improved the lighting, accessibility and enjoyment of the island for our visitors, and it’s been done in an environmentally friendly way. The tower light is not only a symbol of a great partnership, but will be a welcoming beacon to our visitors and a reminder of the history and significance of the lighthouse.”

According to Les Ross, NRG’s Western Connecticut Plant Manager, “This project really captures what NRG is all about, so we were thrilled at the opportunity to play the central role. Our company and our people were able to contribute to a project that combines solar power, energy conservation, community support and historical preservation all at once.”

Activated in 1868, the Sheffield Island Lighthouse was in service for 34 years until its retirement in 1902. Today the lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is maintained, along with the island, as a museum and nature preserve by Norwalk Seaport Association volunteers.

Inspiring restoration project at Maine's Goat Island Light

2011-10-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the dedication ceremony on October 12 celebrating the completion of an amazing restoration project at Goat Island Light Station in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The station's historic fog bell tower (destroyed 1962) and covered wooden walkway between the house and tower (destroyed in a 1978 storm) have been completely reconstructed.

Here is a video of some of the celebration:

Reimbursement Act for Hurricane of 1938

2011-10-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Seamond Ponsart Roberts of Louisiana, daughter of longtime Massachusetts lighthouse keeper Octave Ponsart, just sent me the fascinating document below. The hurricane of September 21, 1938, was the most devastating storm in recorded New England history; more than 700 people died in the region, including seven at lighthouses. Many lighthouse keepers requested reimbursement for their losses of personal belongings. To the best of my knowledge (and Seamond's recollection), none of them actually received reimbursement.

If anyone has more information on this sad footnote to history, I'd love to hear from you.

Special Maine Lighthouse Cruise this Saturday, Sept. 24!

2011-09-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC AND BAR HARBOR WHALE WATCH CO. PRESENT A LIGHTHOUSE TOUR BENEFIT CRUISE

Great Duck Island

Join COA faculty and local historians for a lighthouse and seabird history tour.

BAR HARBOR, ME—Maine’s outer islands hold many secrets, and its lighthouses are packed
full with stories. But there are an equal number of stories within the nests and burrows of the many
seabirds that shelter their young on these same islands—just ask John Anderson, College of the
Atlantic faculty member in biology.

Join Anderson and a host of his colleagues from 2:30 to 5:30 on Saturday, Sept. 24 for a benefit Lighthouse and Seabird History Tour. Proceeds will assist the college’s Marine Studies Program, and help with lighthouse and building renovations on Great Duck Island.

In addition to Anderson, the William H. Drury Chair of Ecology and Natural History, COA alumni, faculty, and staff Matt Drennan, Toby Stephenson, and Scott Swann, naturalists and natural storytellers all. Additionally, local historians Richard Sassaman and Zack Klyver will be aboard.

Each island has its own dramatic tale. Take Great Duck Island, one of COA’s two research stations. Its original boreal forest has been inhabited by waves of humans, from fishermen and farmers, to therapists and natural history researchers. And then there are the birds. Each summer Great Duck’s rocky fringe is home to hundreds of nesting auks, gulls, and ducks. Just beyond this granite shore stands a dense forest where, at the base of spruce trees, hoards of storm petrels burrow into the forest floor. Recently, eagles have been vying for space and dominion over this small island. Beyond the life-and-death dramas of birds and humans stands the abiding beauty of the island. As Stephenson, COA’s marine captain, notes, “The bold coast of Great Duck is back-dropped by the mountainous views of Acadia, the most majestic vista possible.”

Among the highlights of the cruise are the lights of Bear Island, Great Duck, Baker Island, and Egg Rock, in addition to Cranberry Island Life Saving Station and Thrumcap Island.

The journey will be aboard the Bay King III or Friendship V, of the Bar Harbor Whale Watch fleet. There’s a rain date for Sunday, Sept. 25. Feel free to bring lunch, though the snack bar, with snacks and drinks, will be open. The cost is $30 adults; $10 for those 14 and younger. Space is limited. To reserve seats, participants are asked to call the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. at 207-288-2386. A $5 reservation can be placed on a credit card with the rest to be paid in cash or check before embarking. Meet the boat at Harbor Place, 1 West St. in Bar Harbor.

Renovations completed to Neds Point Light, Mass.

2011-08-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Great to see that repairs and repainting have been completed at one of the prettiest lighthouses in Southeastern Massachusetts, Neds Point Light in Mattapoisett. Bravo to the Coast Guard and the local Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers who care for the picturesque landmark in Veterans Memorial Park, and to the company that completed the work, Seacoast Scaffold and Equipment Corp.

Buzzards Bay / Vineyard Sound Lighthouse Cruise on October 1, 2011!

2011-08-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

Join the American Lighthouse Foundation and Friends of Flying Santa on a cooperative fundraising lighthouse cruise of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound!

This unique 6-hour cruise will sail to 10 Massachusetts lighthouses: Palmer Island, Butler Flats, Clarks Point, Gay Head, Tarpaulin Cove, Nobska Point, Cleveland Ledge, Wing's Neck, Bird Island, and Ned's Point. This is a rare opportunity to see these historic offshore lighthouses up close, as well as the picturesque Elizabeth Islands.

The narrator will be lighthouse author and historian Jeremy D'Entremont. The boat will depart from New Bedford, Mass., at 10:00 a.m.

You are welcome to bring a lunch. On board you will find a fully licensed beer and wine bar, espresso bar with lattes, cappuccino, coffee, and teas, also light snacks including fresh baked specialties and a selection of soft drinks and waters.

The Vessel
19kt maximum speed
16kt cruising speed
Heated cabin
Upper deck with outdoor seating

2 restrooms

All proceeds go to support the American Lighthouse Foundation and Friends of Flying Santa. Seating is limited so make your reservations today!

Tickets are $65.00.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Fundraiser for Documentary on lighthouse heroine Ida Lewis

2011-07-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

The following comes from the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport, Rhode Island --

R.I.'s Historic Lighthouses – A Fundraiser for Documentary about Lighthouse Keeper and Heroine Ida Lewis of Newport

Beavertail Light

Join us on Monday, August 22, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. for a one-night showing of Rhode Island’s Historic Lighthouses, a 47-minute documentary made by local filmmaker Jim Karpeichik of Ocean State Video. Rhode Island's Historic Lighthouses is a comprehensive look at the history, decline and rebirth of the beacons that grace our shoreline. It covers all 30 of the lighthouses that were built in Rhode Island and includes stories of tragedies and heroism, buildings lost and lighthouses restored.

Click here for ticket information ($15 per person)

This film will be followed by a sneak peek of another documentary currently in production – America’s Forgotten Heroine: Ida Lewis, Keeper of the Light. This film, produced by Goodnight Irene Productions in association with Ocean State Video, will resurrect the forgotten story of Ida Lewis from Newport, this country's most famous lighthouse keeper and national heroine from the 19th century.

Writer/Director/Producer Marian Gagnon of Goodnight Irene Productions will introduce the trailer and speak briefly about her plan to restore the national memory of Ida Lewis as an American icon and return her to her rightful place in history. Read more about this film project at www.goodnightireneproductions.com

Also in attendance Monday evening will be Lenore Skomal, author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter: The Remarkable True Story of American Heroine Ida Lewis. Skomal will read a few excerpts from her book and be available for a book signing at the end of the program.

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter is the absorbing, painstakingly researched story of Ida Lewis, born in Newport in 1842, and the fearless rescues she made at Lime Rock Lighthouse. Skomal is a veteran author, career journalist, public speaker with 30 years experience, and author of 15 commercially published books. She can be reached at www.lenoreskomal.com

Ida Lewis

More about Ida Lewis:
Beginning at the age of 15, Ida took over the lighthouse duties at Lime Rock in Newport in 1853 when her father suffered a stroke. At 16 she made her first daring rescue and in her lifetime she saved more than 18 people from certain peril. Before long, the 103-pound Ida Lewis, a darling of Civil War heroes, was heralded as "the bravest woman in America." Tens of thousands flocked to meet Ida on the island each summer. President Ulysses S. Grant and General Sherman came to Newport just to shake Ida’s hand as did Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton who tried to enlist her for the women’s movement.

Ida’s story still has great universal appeal particularly because of the rich juxtaposition of Ida’s independent and fearless choices within societal norms during the Victorian era as well as within the circles of the Newport elite. This film will focus on Ida’s intriguing life story, her myriad decisions which led to a life of both fame and isolation, her unexpected celebrity in Newport as well as across the U.S., and the impact she inadvertently had on the early feminist movement. It will provide an intimate portrayal of Ida’s life from age 15 to 69 (from 1857 to 1911) and the passion and moral fiber she intrinsically brought to her work as a lighthouse keeper and unlikely heroine.
As John Williams Haley, author of The Rhode Island Historian wrote in 1939: “Ida Lewis may very well be the most famous Rhode Island woman who ever lived.”

This evening’s multi-faceted event is a fundraiser for the Ida Lewis film and proceeds of ticket sales will go toward completion of this documentary.

Click here for more on the Jane Pickens Theater and Event Center

Long Island Head Light transferred to National Park Service

2011-06-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Just received this press release:

National Park Service Receives Long Island Head Light from U.S. Coast Guard in Transfer

In a ceremony on Saturday, June 25, 2011, the US Coast Guard handed over the management of Long Island Head Light to the National Park Service. Lighthouses have become vestiges of maritime culture. GPS devices and other navigational equipment have become stand-ins for the towering beacons and the position of lighthouses has ultimately transitioned to being historical landmarks. This transferring of lighthouses from the Coast Guard to others is part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. This act allows for lighthouse ownership transfer to other Federal Agencies or local government agencies as well as non-profit corporations or educational institutions, all of which must be committed to cultural or historic preservation.

Long Island Head Light became one of the first cast-iron lighthouses in the US in 1844 and has been in and out of service since the early 19^th century. It is currently operational after a renovation in 1985. The National Park Service was glad to receive the historic, centuries-old lighthouse. It seemed only natural that the light’s ownership should be passed to the Park Service since Long Island is already one of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area’s thirty-four islands. The National Park Service was offered the lighthouse back in 2010 and preparations for the transfer culminated in the ceremony when Rear Admiral Daniel A. Neptun, First Coast Guard District Commander for the US Coast Guard, handed the Long Island Head Light key to Bruce Jacobson, the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area’s park superintendent.

The Park Service is excited to receive the lighthouse in hopes to get the public out to the light on an occasional basis. Long Island is city-owned and a restricted area. Now, with the park’s new addition, Long Island Head Light will be open to the public for special trips and programs organized by the park. The Park Service is currently making moves to assess the lighthouse’s overall safety before organizing excursions for the public. Jacobson feels that ownership of the lighthouse fits perfectly under the Park Service’s goals and mission as he explained at the ceremony, “Our [The National Park Service’s] primary function is preservation, making sure that natural and cultural resources are protected so that the next generation and the next generation can also come and enjoy these resources.”

The US General Services Administration’s Regional Administrator of New England, Bob Zarnetske, also attended the ceremony, saying, “This is a way for America to preserve its maritime history and when it ends up in the National Park Service we can be guaranteed it’s going to be not only a preservation of the history, but an asset the public can come see, enjoy, and learn about.” The ceremony itself took place on city soil thanks to the help of Antonia Pollak, Commissioner of Boston Parks and Recreation, who also attended. The land transfer was a mere 0.06 acres of land between the two government agencies and is the only piece of land currently owned by the National Park Service within the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

The US Coast Guard has been maintaining Long Island Head Light with the assistance of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Auxiliary currently assists with maintenance on Boston Light located on Little Brewster Island, another island part of the Boston Harbor Islands. The Long Island Head Light’s grounds are being maintained with great efforts by the Auxiliary Flotilla 53-Constitution and hopefully Flotilla volunteers will continue their work after this transfer. The beacon itself will still continue to be run by the US Coast Guard.

This event is exciting for the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area providing the public with a look at Boston’s unseen history which the lighthouse will now shed light on. As Admiral Neptun noted at the ceremony, “I think it builds confidence when people get a chance to see that light out at sea—It lets them know exactly where they are.” Long Island Head Light will continue to be celebrated and revered by those who will be able to look upon it and will remain a guiding light for mariners who sail in and out of Boston Harbor.

New England Lighthouse Tours

2011-06-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

The fourth season of my "New England Lighthouse Tours" is underway, and I've added lots more tour dates. Hope to see you on one of my tours this year!

www.newenglandlighthousetours.com

"Perfect New England Day trip!" - Brad & Denise Gardner.

"There is not a more rewarding lighthouse tour than this. The personal touches that Jeremy offers, along with his thorough knowledge of lighthouses, makes this a real fun way to experience the lights!" - Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation.

"We found New England Lighthouse Tours on the internet, and we couldn't have gotten luckier! Jeremy is very knowledgeable and informative. We are looking forward to taking another tour with him." - Kevin and Susan Himrod.

"Sentinels on the Sound" in New London, CT, July 1-3, 2011

2011-06-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

July 1-3, 2011 - The New London Maritime Society presents:

"Sentinels on the Sound: New London's Lighthouse Heritage"
A weekend of Lighthouse Tours, Special Exhibitions & Events

New London Harbor Light (Jeremy D'Entremont photo)

New London, CT-- Join the New London Maritime Society, July 1-3, when New London hosts a city-wide weekend of lighthouse exhibitions, tours, and special events.

And for the first time, ever, the public will be allowed to step inside all three lighthouses in New London Harbor: Avery Point, New London Ledge Lighthouse, and New London Harbor Lighthouse.

Experience lighthouses by boat, by bike, in discussions, in art, through history, through science, and from the inside looking out. Special events include a Shoreline Lighthouse Bicycle Tour, Sentinels on the Sound discussions, a Lighthouse Cake Competition, Sea Shantyman John Roberts in concert, art exhibitions, and more.

From the lantern of New London Harbor Light, one can see an amazing number of lighthouses -- perhaps more than from any other spot on earth, according to the United States Coast Guard. Last fall, the New London Maritime Society assumed stewardship of New London Harbor Light, the oldest lighthouse on Long Island Sound and the 4th oldest lighthouse in North America.

To mark the first summer of their stewardship and celebrate New London's rich lighthouse heritage, the New London Maritime Society presents a weekend of lighthouse activities, Sentinels on the Sound: New London's Lighthouse Heritage, to take place Friday through Sunday, July 1-3, 2011. Working with a number of New London- area lighthouse and other organizations , the weekend will include lighthouse
tours, special exhibitions, and a Saturday symposium to be held at the Custom House Maritime Museum featuring New England lighthouse expert Jeremy D'Entremont.

New London Ledge Light (Jeremy D'Entremont photo)

The New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation is a major partner in the weekend's festivities. On Friday evening July 1, at 6:30 p.m., Todd Gipstein, the Foundation's president, will sign copies of his new novel, Legacy of the Light, at the Custom House Maritime Museum. On Saturday and Sunday, New London Ledge Lighthouse and its new information center can be visited through tours run by Project Oceanology, which will leave from New London's Custom House Pier.

The lighthouse weekend and the new lighthouse exhibition are made possible by a generous grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council.

The printed daily schedule is available at the Custom House Maritime Museum and throughout downtown New London, or download your schedule HERE.

Avery Point Light (Jeremy D'Entremont photo)

In addition to New London Maritime Society and the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation, other partners include area lighthouses: Avery Point Foundation (chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation), New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation (chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation), Noank Historical Society (Morgan Point), Mystic Seaport, Stonington Historical Society (Stonington Light); and Bike New London, Caruso Music, Expressiones Cultural Center, Fort Trumbull State Park, Friends of Fort Trumbull, Hygienic Art, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London Community Boating, the New London County Historical Society, New London Main Street, NLart, Ocean Beach Park, PINC!, Project Oceaneology, Provenance Center, Public Library of New London, Spirit Gallery, Studio 33, The Gallery at Firehouse Square, the U.S. Coast Guard and the USCG Museum.

Sentinels on the Sound launches New London's exciting Waterfront Summer, with 2011 SailFest up next, July 8-10.

Go to the Lighthouse Weekend Web page to see a complete updated listing of events.

Pam Nobili of the Nauset Light Preservation Society

2011-06-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Tireless volunteers who dedicate themselves to the cause of lighthouse preservation over the long haul are few and far between. Pam Nobili of Eastham, Massachusetts, who recently died at 77, was one of those rare people. I just received the following message from Bud Griffin of the Nauset Light Preservation Society:

With deep regret the Nauset Light Preservation Society announces the death of Pam Nobili of Eastham, MA on May 31, 2011.

Nearly 20 years ago, Pam Nobili and her husband Conrad were deeply involved in the effort to save Nauset Lighthouse which was endangered by severe erosion of the nearby coastal bank. Through their actions, along with other concerned citizens of Eastham and Cape Cod, the Nauset Light Preservation Society was formed, and sufficient funds were collected to pay to move the Lighthouse, Keeper's House and Oil House to a safer location from 1996 to 1998. The Nauset Light Preservation Society has operated and maintained the lighthouse since the move, and Pam continued to play a significant role: for many years Pam operated NLPS’ extremely successful gift shop which provided a large share of the funds collected for the move and for future operations and maintenance; she served as the Society's President for several years and most recently she was the Society's Treasurer. Pam came to be known as "Mrs. Lighthouse" for all her efforts and for her constant presence at the light.

We shall all miss Pam Nobili’s charm and good humor and her devotion to the cause of the Nauset Light Preservation Society.

Race Point Lighthouse, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

2011-06-01T12:24:00.001-07:00

I took this photo during a visit in late March. Race Point is a beautiful, remote spot, and you can spend the night here -- see racepointlighthouse.net.

"Legacy of the Light" by Todd Gipstein

2011-05-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Todd Gipstein has been working as a photographer, writer, producer and lecturer for almost 40 years. He's currently the chairman of the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. You can read more about Todd's impressive credentials here.

Todd has published a new novel, Legacy of the Light, a thriller that tells the story of two generations of keepers at Race Rock Lighthouse off the shore of New London, Connecticut.

The tale spans two generations, from the early 1900s to the worst hurricane in New England history on September 21, 1938.

Click here to learn how you can get a copy.

Joshua K. Card Day - June 25, 2011

2011-05-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 25, 4 p.m., Riverside Cemetery (174 Route 1B), New Castle, NH:

You're invited to join Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses (FPHL) for a commemorative gathering marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Joshua Kenney Card, longtime keeper (1874-1909) of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle.

At the time of Card's death at the age of 88, a local newspaper reported, "The captain’s fidelity to duty cannot too highly be praised. Punctual to the minute, he literally stayed at his post year after year without a break. . . No man stood higher in the estimation of the Lighthouse Board, at Washington, than the keeper of Portsmouth Light." When he retired as a lighthouse keeper at the age of 86, he was believed to be the oldest keeper in the United States.

The memorial gathering will include readings about Joshua Card's life, as well as a special performance of the song "Lighthouse Keeper" by Neptune's Car. The folk duo will be performing a concert later that evening at Captain and Patty's restaurant as part of a weekend-long celebration of the tenth anniversary of the founding of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses as a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation in June 2001.

Admission to the memorial gathering is free. For more information on the weekend's events, see www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org

Trapped in the ice near Green's Ledge, CT

2011-05-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Life at offshore lighthouses was a challenge for many reasons. Isolated lighthouses were often difficult to access in the warm months, but even more so in the winter if ice surrounded the structure. Green's Ledge Light, a caisson lighthouse built at the entrance to Norwalk Harbor, Connecticut, in 1899, was no exception.

Sarah DeMaria has provided the following story involving her grandfather, Andrew J. Simso II, who was one of the Coast Guard keepers at Green's Ledge 1945-47:

He and another Coast Guardsman went ashore to get supplies in February. They docked about 6 or 7 p.m., retrieved the needed supplies and began home. In their efforts to return to the lighthouse, they attempted to follow a channel cut through the ice by another ship. Unfortunately, this was futile; the ship had passed too long prior and my grandfather and his fellow sailor became trapped as the ice surrounded their small boat, leaving them stranded.

In the pitch dark the men yelled for help but no one heard. They decided to try to walk back to shore on the frozen ice, but both men fell through into the frigid waters. The men managed to pull themselves out of the water and get back to the boat. The two -- shivering and freezing wet -- continued to yelled for help. This time people ashore, hearing their calls, contacted the authorities. The two men, on the verge of hypothermia, were rescued.

For more history of Green's Ledge Light, click here.

Penfield Reef Lighthouse (CT) reverting to the federal government

2011-05-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Penfield Reef Lighthouse, in Long Island Sound very close to the border between the towns of Fairfield and Bridgeport, Connecticut, is a handsome structure with history and legends to spare. Back in April 2007, it was announced that the lighthouse would be available to a suitable new owner under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

On July 29, 2008, Beacon Preservation, Inc., of Ansonia, Connecticut, received notice that the organization had submitted a "superior" application and had been recommended as the new owners.

Since then, the stewardship of the lighthouse has been obscured by a legal battle concerning the bottomlands under the structure. Beacon Preservation claimed that the federal government owned the bottomlands, while the State of CT claimed it did.

State legislation was passed allowing Beacon Preservation to occupy the submerged lands. But Beacon filed a suit in federal court seeking the right to administer the lighthouse and the lands beneath it “without first executing a lease with the State of Connecticut or the Town of Fairfield pertaining to the submerged lands on which Penfield Reef is situated” and to affirm Beacon’s “rights to all rights, title and interest” to the property.

A judge had yet to rule on the suit, but now Beacon Preservation has withdrawn the matter. According to the General Services Administration, this means the lighthouse will now be put up for public auction.

With the lighthouse reverting to the federal government, I don't understand why the whole process under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHLPA) won't simply begin again, with the lighthouse being offered to a suitable applicant, such as a qualified nonprofit group or a government agency. It seems like the GSA is skipping a step; usually a lighthouse is auctioned to the public under the NHLPA only if there are no suitable applicants.

You can read more about this story here.

Orleans Trio Benefit Concert for Plum Beach Lighthouse (RI) on June 11

2011-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Tickets are now available for the Orleans Trio Benefit Concert for the Plum Beach Lighthouse, June 11, 2011, at the Newport Yachting Center.
Orleans Trio is comprised of the founding members of Orleans, the national recording band from the 70s and 80s who created hits such as "Still the One" and "Dance with Me." Tickets will be $65 per person and include Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Doors will open at 630pm with the band slated to begin around 8. Plum Beach Lighthouse items and tee shirts will be available as well as CDs and items from Orleans and Orleans Trio.

The event will also honor the PBL Lighthouse License Plate as the first runner-up in the national contest for "Best Plate in America" by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. Officials from the association will be on hand to present the RI DMV and the Friends the award.

Tickets are now on sale at the Newport Yachting Center Box Office, 401-846-1600 ext 2 or through their website:www.newportwaterfrontevents.com

See www.plumbeachlighthouse.org for more on Plum Beach Lighthouse.

Goat Island Light (Maine) Goes Back in Time

2011-05-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

Circa early 1900s postcard of Goat Island

Maine's Goat Island Light was established in 1833 to help guide mariners into the sheltered harbor at Cape Porpoise, a busy fishing center for many years. In 1859, the tower and house were rebuilt.

In 1992, Goat Island was leased to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. In 1998, under the Maine Lights Program, the lighthouse officially became the property of the trust, which since its founding in 1969 has protected hundreds of acres of town land from development.

There's a very exciting project now beginning at Goat Island. The following is taken by permission from the spring 2011 newsletter of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust.

Goat Island Light (Maine) Goes Back in Time


This postcard shows Goat Island Light Station circa 1950s

With much excitement, the Trust is thrilled to announce that contracts have been signed for the restoration of the Goat Island Light Station in Cape Porpoise with the construction beginning in early May.

This is the culmination of five years of planning, permitting, negotiating and fund raising by Mike Weston and Scott Dombrowski, the co-project managers.

The restoration work, awarded to Bartlett Builders of Kennebunkport via a competitive bidding process, will include the rebuilding of the bell tower that was torn down in 1962, the covered walkway from the keeper’s quarters to the light tower damaged by the blizzard of 1978 and the original fuel storage building. The cost of this phase of the restoration will be in the neighborhood of $380,000.

The period chosen for the restoration is the decade of the 1950s. Significant photographic evidence exists for that period and that is the period when all of the structures scheduled to be rebuilt were in place and water and electricity were available.

The process to secure the final approvals for construction included work to obtain permits from the DEP, Army Corps of Engineers, Inland Fish and Wildlife, Indian Tribes of Maine, the Town of Kennebunkport and the Maine Historical Preservation Society.

Also required was a change to the Kennebunkport Land Use Ordinance for the island to be designated a Contract Zone and the voters of Kennebunkport overwhelmingly approved that change 2 years ago.

Because of the historical nature of the Goat Island Light Station, two archaeological digs were required to assure that no buried artifacts would be destroyed during the rebuilding phase. During this process, some of the original foundations and pilings were uncovered allowing rebuilding in more historically accurate locations. Crane and Morrison completed the dig and analysis that provided the Trust with a treasure trove of historical documentation. Goat Island Light was first lit on August 15, 1833 so historical accuracy would have been difficult to assure without the results from the dig.

Goat Island today

Harvey Wells, a Kennebunk architect, first provided a scale model of the project and volunteered hundreds of hours to complete it. Mr. Wells was chosen to provide all of the detailed plans for the rebuilding and restoration based on the photographic evidence and old historical articles to assure historical accuracy. Dustin Roma, an engineer with Sebago Technics of Westbrook, completed all of the site work, permit applications and technical detail. Engineering expertise for the foundations and structural specifications were provided by Group Design of Saco. The bell tower has been designed to withstand high winds and flooding---without compromising the historical integrity of the building exterior.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by September 1st this year with dedication ceremonies to be held shortly after Labor Day.

Coming later this spring, you will be able follow the construction by visiting our website at www.kporttrust.org and selecting the Goat Island web-cam. Stay tuned!

Reenergizing a Light gone Dark at Avery Point

2011-05-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Avery Point Light is on the campus of the Univ. of CT

On April 15, 2011, the University of Connecticut notified the Avery Point Lighthouse Society that the tower’s beacon, located on the University’s Groton Campus, was extinguished.

From that point forward, a team effort to relight the optic went into full swing.

Click here to read the full story.

Right: Avery Point's beacon is ready to go (L to R) Robert Zadroga, James Streeter and Ben Roccapriore (Photo courtesy of James Streeter).

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse supporters to celebrate 10th anniversary

2011-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse supporters to celebrate 10th anniversary

Nice write-up on Fiddeye! The site is an excellent guide to America's maritime history.

An English manservant at Boston Light

2011-04-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

I just found this fascinating item concerning John Hayes, keeper at Boston Light 1718-33. It was published in the Weekly Rehearsal on September 3, 1733.

The first keeper of Boston Light, George Worthylake, had an African slave named Shadwell; Worthylake and Shadwell died along with Worthylake's wife and daughter when their canoe capsized in late 1718. It isn't clear if there were slaves at the light station with any subsequent keepers. I was surprised to find that Hayes had an "English manservant." Apparently, Mr. Elwood wasn't too fond of life on Little Brewster Island.

American Lighthouse Foundation to hold annual gala in Portsmouth, NH, April 16

2011-03-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

The American Lighthouse Foundation's 2011 Annual Lighthouse Gala will be held at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel's Grand Ballroom at 250 Market Street in downtown Portsmouth, N.H., on Saturday, April 16, 2011, at 6 p.m.

Thanks to Fiddeye.com for posting this event! Click here for more.

Race Point Lighthouse

2011-03-26T20:22:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of staying at Race Point Lighthouse on Cape Cod last night in advance of an American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) board meeting held there this morning. The people of the Cape Cod Chapter of ALF were wonderful hosts, and it's a beautiful place to stay even with a cold, howling wind.

See racepointlighthouse.net to learn more,

Rose Island Lighthouse at night

2011-03-21T08:19:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night, I had the privilege of spending a night at Rode Island Lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island, with a paranormal investigation team from New England Ghost Project. Aside from any evidence of the paranormal (and yes, we did get some evidence), it was a rare treat to be in such an incredible place for the night, with the added beauty of the full "supermoon." Big thanks to David McCurdy, executive director of the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation, for his help and hospitality.

Lighthouse Keeper

2011-03-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

Historical images from my collection of New England lighthouse keepers, set to the song "Lighthouse Keeper" by Neptune's Car (used with permission)

www.neptunescar.com

Beyond the Sea

2011-03-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

Some of my photos of coastal New England set to the song "La Mer" (Beyond the Sea).

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;D&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Incredible "Swim for the Lights" by Gary Sredzienski

2011-02-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

February 26, 2011, was an extraordinary day for lighthouse preservation. It was also one of the most memorable days of my life.

I had the good fortune to be in a support boat alongside Gary Sredzienski as he successfully completed his four-mile, 2.5-hour "Swim for the Lights."

I've never witnessed a display of willpower and athleticism to compare to what Gary accomplished on this day.

The conditions seemed favorable near Odiorne Point in Rye, NH, slightly before 1:30 p.m., when Gary entered the frigid waters at the mouth of the Piscataqua River and began his swim. The air temperature was about 27F, and the water was about 38F.

Gary was helped to the water by the American Lighthouse Foundation's executive director, Bob Trapani, and William Marshall, a board member of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. Bob served as the primary point person on land during the swim.

Meanwhile, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses Chairman Ross Tracy rode along in a boat with the New Hampshire Marine Patrol. Coast Guard Station Porstmouth Harbor also provided a patrol boat for the duration of the event.

The Piscataqua, incidentally, is said to be the second fastest flowing navigable river in the United States. The swim was timed to start an hour after low tide, at a time when the current was expected to be a relatively minor factor.

The route (bottom to top)

The Piscataqua, however, is anything but predictable. A storm had passed by the night before and there was a stiff westerly breeze.

By the time he was a third of the way to Whaleback Lighthouse, his first intended stop about a mile and a half away, the west wind was kicking up and the seas were growing dangerously choppy. Several times, we had to yell to Gary to adjust his course as he struggled toward his objective.

I could see that Gary was expending tremendous energy during the first leg of the swim, and I started to wonder if he could draw on some sort of inner reserves to complete the route. I was worried for him.

About three-quarters of the way to Whaleback, Gary came over to the boat for a quick breather, a drink of water, and a bite of banana. He was already looking drained. He said later that he expended so much energy in the early part of the swim that he stopped kicking for much of the time so he could save some leg energy for the last part.

It was Gary's aim to climb onto the rocks at Whaleback to provide a good photo opportunity. I told him repeatedly that we didn't want him doing anything to put himself in danger -- including climbing onto wet, slippery rocks.

As he neared the jagged granite boulders with waves crashing against them, I hoped Gary would give up on the idea of going ashore. My boatmates, Jim Varn and Kent Allyn, laughed and said that Gary does what Gary wants to do.

Timing his access between waves, Gary clambered onto the wet rocks. He waved triumphantly and climbed up and over to the other side, out of our sight. He couldn't stay out of the water for long or he'd get too cold. By the time we got to the other side, Gary was lowering himself back into the water.

As Gary swam on toward Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH, the wind and waves gradually subsided.

A crowd of well-wishers was waiting around the base of the lighthouse in New Castle, and they cheered as Gary got close. This time he had second thoughts about scaling the wet, seaweed-covered rocks in front of the lighthouse. As he paused near the rocks, a kayaker approached and shouted his good wishes.

Gary eventually pulled away and started the last leg of the swim toward Kittery Point. During the duration of the swim, Gary took occasional brief breaks, coming over to the boat for a quick drink of seltzer water and a bite of a banana or Powerbar. By my count, he took three of these breaks, none of them longer than a few minutes. By the last break, he was telling us to grab him so he didn't have to hang onto the boat -- he was running out of strength in his arms.

Gary's willpower pulled him on past Fort McClary to Kittery Point. As we got closer, we were thrilled to see a crowd waiting on the dock. I'm sure it warmed Gary's heart -- which was no doubt frozen by this time -- to see all the people waiting for him.

Photo by William Marshall

In spite of his dwindling energy, Gary had to put on a show for the audience. A couple of hundred feet away from the dock, Gary came to the side of the boat so he could don a "Creature from the Black Lagoon" mask, and he got on a boogie board to be hauled to the finish line.

As he walked up onto the boat ramp, he was handed a little red accordion as the crowd cheered.

Photo by Ann Trapani

I wondered if he would have the energy to walk up the boat ramp unassisted. He did, of course.

If all that wasn't remarkable enough, after a brief break to shower and change, Gary played a two-hour gig at a post-Swim celebration party at Captain and Patty's restaurant.

At the party, several hundred more dollars were added to the funds raised by the swim. At this writing, the donations total almost $8300 toward the goal of $10,000. You can still honor Gary's extraordinary accomplishment by donating at www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org or www.lighthousefoundation.org

My thanks to everyone who has donated or played any role in this event. It's a day I'll never forget.

As I finish writing this, I just got an email from Gary. He's complaining that he has the "post-aqua" blues. And to think I was worried about how he might be feeling!

And I just got another message from Gary:

The Piscataqua is so humbling and is no joke. I did that [wore the mask at the end of the swim] to have fun and have fun with the cause and the people, but most of all I just want to express my respect because so many lost their lives where I was.

I believe in 1871 a Prussian lighthouse keeper of Whaleback drowned. You can feel that out there. That was a very difficult first stretch between Rye and Whaleback and it dawned on me that it's where the water of five rivers meet the sea.

The battle between river and sea travels far inland, but that is the geographic boundary between two great forces of nature. It was such an honor for me to feel that, to be humbled by that, and I only mean respect to this river and those lighthouses.

Here's a video recapping the swim:

An Inspiring "Swim for the Lights"

2011-02-27T21:51:00.001-08:00

I had the privilege of riding along in a support boat on Saturday as Gary Sredzienski swam four miles in 38-degree water, battling wind and waves to raise funds for lighthouse preservation. It was incredible. I'll be posting more very soon.

One more preview video for "Swim for the Lights"

2011-02-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

Swim for the Lights cartoon in the Portsmouth Herald

2011-02-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Portsmouth Herald has published a cartoon related to the Swim for the Lights event that's happening this Saturday, benefiting the American Lighthouse Foundation and the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.

The cartoon depicts swimmer/musician Gary Sredzienski towing the rest of his band as he swims past Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.

You can win a prize by correctly guessing the name of the band -- click here.

The weather looks good for Saturday and all systems are go for this exciting event. I'll be out in a boat all afternoon shooting video of Gary's four -mile swim in 35 degree water. I've got my warm clothes all laid out.

To date, the event has raised about two-thirds of the goal of $10,000. There's still time to donate to help support lighthouse preservation -- click here for more info.

American Lighthouse Foundation promo video

2011-02-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

I put this promotional video together using my own photos of 22 lighthouses under ALF's care.

Swim for the Lights Preview Video

2011-02-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Here's another video preview for the unique "Swim for the Lights" event this Saturday, February 26. To date, the event has raised more than $6000 for the American Lighthouse Foundation and Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses -- the goal is $10,000. See www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org for more information.

Savings from American Lighthouse Foundation Gift Shop

2011-02-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Savings-from-American-Lighthouse-Foundation-Gift-Shop.html?soid=1101890536921&aid=hLdyECirCa4

Battling a Snowstorm at Owls Head Light in the 1960s

2011-02-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

Owls Head Light Station, Maine

In calm weather, being a lighthouse keeper was hard work, but generally not stressful. During storms, on the other hand, keepers frequently had to battle heroically against extreme forces to keep the light and foghorn going for any unfortunate mariners in their vicinity. It was the same for the Coast Guard keepers of the modern era as it was for the civilian keepers of prior centuries. In severe weather, everything was always reduced to the simple equation of man vs. nature.

I just received the story below in an email from Linda Davis, who was passing it along for her husband, Melvin Davis. Jr., who was the Coast Guard lightkeeper at Owls Head Light in Midcoast Maine, 1965-68. In a storm in the 1960s, Melvin displayed courage and devotion to duty that would have made lighthouse keepers of any era proud. Thank you to Melvin and Linda for sharing this.

We weathered many storms on Owls Head Light, but there is one I remember above them all. I believe it was the winter of 1967-1968. It was a fierce nor'easter. The wind howled and the snow blew to whiteout and it was very cold. Everything was fine, then the lights went out. The alarms sounded and the generator kicked on and took over. After resetting all the alarms things quieted down. It was around 8 or 9 p.m. Then, around 10 p.m. everything seemed fine -- the light was on, the fog signal was on, and the generator was running fine, so I went to bed.

Around 2 a.m. the alarms started going off and everything was in darkness. I jumped out of bed, got dressed, grabbed my flashlight and went out to investigate. By this time the snow was well above my knees. I went to the generator house, opened the door and got a face full of steam. After the steam subsided and I could see with my flashlight, I found that the fan to the engine flew apart and went through the radiator. I knew there was nothing I could do so, I had to get a "notice to mariners" out as soon as I could.

Getting back to the house I found the phone was dead also, so I couldn't call the Rockland Coast Guard to get the notice out. I knew then I had to get to the nearest phone which was approximately three miles away, but I didn't know if their phone worked or not either. I knew I had to try anyway. I told my family the situation and had them all stay in the kitchen area where the kerosene oil burner stove was, which was the only source of heat we had because of no electrical power to run the furnace. I had a four-wheel drive Jeep but knew that it was useless in the deep snow, so I trudged through the blowing deep snow.

I finally got to the house at about 4 a.m. and pounded on the door to wake the people up. They warmly welcomed me in after they realized I was the lighthouse keeper. They gave me a cup of coffee to warm me and gladly allowed me to use their phone to get the "notice to mariners" out. Later I found out that a tree had fallen across the wires leading to the lighthouse. Irving Smith of Owls Head normally plowed out the lighthouse road with his pickup truck, but this time because there was so much snow he had to use his bulldozer. After a few days, power was restored, generator repaired, and Owls Head Lighthouse was back in service for the mariners.

The Lord looked out for us on many, many occasions. I give thanks to Him for it all. Little did I know at the time that me and my family would be a part of Coast Guard history. -- Melvin Davis, Jr.

Swim for the Lights Preview 3 - February 6, 2011

2011-02-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

Frigid swim will benefit local lighthouses - Portsmouth Herald

2011-02-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

I spent some time at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse with Deborah McDermott and Deb Cram of the Portsmouth (NH) Herald for interviews and photos related to the "Swim for the Lights" fundraising event coming up on 2/26. Deborah did a wonderful job with the story -- click here to read it!

Lights Out for Lighthouses? (CNN)

2011-02-04T09:15:00.001-08:00

I'm heavily quoted in an article on the CNN website today -- click here.

George Webster did a fine job with this story. I hope it helps bring attention to the fact that our offshore lighthouses are seriously endangered.

Help Keep the Elements Out of Cape Elizabeth's Lantern!

2011-02-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Few lighthouses in Maine, and throughout the country for that matter, rival the elegance and beauty of the east light tower at Cape Elizabeth, but its stately appearance on the exterior does not reveal what the elements are doing on the interior of the historic structure.

Click here to read more!

Gary gets a wetsuit!

2011-02-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon Rainbows Surf Co. of Hampton, New Hampshire, is on board as a sponsor of the "Swim for the Lights," an event coming up on February 26.

The store provided a Xcel wetsuit for Gary Sredzienski at a deep discount, helping to insure that he'll be properly attired when he swims four miles in frigid water to raise funds for lighthouse preservation.

Big thanks to Cinnamon Rainbows for supporting lighthouse preservation!

Left, Gary Sredzienski with Phil Carey of Cinnamon Rainbows.

To learn more about the "Swim for the Lights," click here.

Is this man crazy?

2011-02-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

Gary Sredzienski on ice near Kittery, Maine. Photo by Deb Cram

Well, if it's crazy to swim 12 months a year, even if the water temperature is below freezing, then yes, Gary Sredzienski is crazy as a loon. But he's made a science of figuring out the proper gear to wear, and he's made it this far (he's in his upper 40s) without any serious damage. He likes to say that people watching him from shore are colder than he is -- as long as he keeps moving.

Gary is also a very accomplished accordionist, and he has a radio show called "Polka Party" that's listened to nationwide. Everything Gary does is done with passion and commitment. It's those qualities that led him to start doing long-distance winter swims for local charities in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, area.

Photo by Deb Cram

This year, his chosen cause is the American Lighthouse Foundation and its local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. Gary is a big believer in cultural heritage, and he feels a strong attachment to the area's lighthouses as historic icons that must be preserved.

Gary will be swimming four miles, with stops at Whaleback Lighthouse and Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, on February 26. Following the swim, Gary and his band, the Serfs, will play at a party/concert at Captain and Patty's restaurant at Kittery Point, Maine. You can read all the details by clicking here.

If this man is crazy, then we need more crazy people to help support historic preservation.

Swim for the Lights Preview #2 (January 31, 2011)

2011-01-31T15:34:00.000-08:00

I shot some more video with Gary Sredzienski today to promote his upcoming "Swim for the Lights" in Feb. 26. Click here for more details.

Special thanks to Jay Gingrich, owner of Portsmouth Scuba, for his generous support of this event!

Nubble with snow one more time

2011-01-29T10:58:00.001-08:00

Nubble with snow #4, originally uploaded by nelights.

And one more snowy shot of the Nubble Light from the other day. I think this one might be my favorite.

The Serfs w/ Gary Sredzienski on accordion

2011-01-28T20:19:00.000-08:00

Check out the Serfs performing "Ghost Riders in the Sky" at the Press Room in Portsmouth, NH. They'll be playing a benefit for lighthouses preservation in Kittery, Maine, on February 26 -- click here for details.

Nubble Light with snow AND a gull

2011-01-28T20:13:00.001-08:00

Nubble with snow #1, originally uploaded by nelights.

Another of my snowy Nubble Lighthouse photos from yesterday. You get a free seagull with this one.

Gary S. inside Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse

2011-01-28T07:50:00.000-08:00

Why is this man playing an accordion in the lantern room of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse?

This page might help explain it.

Click here to hear some of Gary's amazing accordion playing.

X-TREX Paranormal Journeys

2011-01-28T07:45:00.000-08:00

Ron Kolek

I've just unveiled my new collaboration with Ron Kolek of New England Ghost Project and the "Ghost Chronicles" radio show -- "X-TREX Paranormal Journeys."

Starting out, we're offering two cruises from Rye, NH -- a "Haunted Cruise" on July 9 and a "Ghost Hunt Cruise" on September 24.

We're going to be adding a "Dining with the Dead" event, with a presentation on haunted lighthouses, and also a "Haunted Weekend" event -- we're working on the details and these will be announced as soon as possible.

Click here for the X-TREX page

Nubble Light with snow

2011-01-27T15:07:00.001-08:00

Nubble with snow, originally uploaded by nelights.

Just got back from getting some snowy photos of the famous Cape Neddick "Nubble Light" in York, Maine. This has been a miserable winter around here, but beauty like this makes up for the misery.

Sea Smoke at Rockland Breakwater, Maine

2011-01-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

This amazing photo was taken in the bitter cold yesterday morning by Ann Trapani, associate director of the American Lighthouse Foundation in Rockland, Maine.

Click here to see more.

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse with full moon

2011-01-25T16:24:00.001-08:00

I was playing around with this photo on my iPod with an app called Camera+ (taptaptap.com) and came up with this.

Gary Sredzienski, Creekman and Accordion Warrior

2011-01-24T14:45:00.001-08:00

Gary Sredzienski is a well-known musician in the Portsmouth, NH, area. He's also known as Creekman because of his passion for swimming in the local waterways. Gary swims all year, and he's done some long distance winter swims for charity. On February 26, 2011, he'll be doing a swim to benefit local lighthouses. See www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org/events.php

This photo was taken outside at the top of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH.

2011-01-24T14:33:00.001-08:00

Swim for the Lights - preview video

2011-01-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

I shot some video yesterday at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and put together this little piece to promote the upcoming "Swim for the Lights" by Gary Sredzienski. I'll be posting more videos of Gary in the coming weeks as we get closer to the event on February 26.

For more info, go to www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org

Boon Island Day event to be held in York on January 23, 2011

2011-01-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

The public is invited to a special "Boon Island Day" event at Old York's Visitor Center at the Remick Barn, 3 Lindsay Road, in York, Maine, this coming Sunday, January 23, at 1:00 p.m. Five guest speakers will focus on the history of Boon Island, a remote, barren outpost about eight miles from the shores of York. The event is sponsored by Museums of Old York, with the assistance of the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF).

Jeremy D'Entremont, author and president of ALF, will present an overview of the history of the island and its lighthouse, established in 1811. Bob Trapani, executive director of ALF, will speak about his first hand experience with the lighthouse, which is under ALF's care. Maine author/historian William O. Thomson will discuss the colorful human interest stories of Boon Island Lighthouse keepers and their families.

Stephen Erickson of Portsmouth will discuss his surprising conclusions reached in his book on the infamous 1710 Nottingham Galley shipwreck at Boon Island. Warren Riess, a nautical archaeologist associated with the University of Maine, will focus on the archaeology of the Nottingham Galley wreck site and the 1995 recovery of cannons from the ship.

The event is expected to last about three hours. Admission is $10, and light refreshments will be served. Call (207) 363-4974 for more information. The storm date will be January 30.

Swim for the Lights on February 26, 2010!

2011-01-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 26, beginning in the early afternoon, Gary Sredzienski will swim the following route: Odiorne Point (Rye, NH) to Whaleback Lighthouse (Kittery, ME) to Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (New Castle, NH) to the Kittery Town Dock at Kittery Point. The total distance is close to four miles, and the water temperature is expected to be about 35 degrees. Gary has been swimming all his life and has done long distance winter swims for charities including Seacoast Hospice, Share Our Strength, and the Krempels Brain Injury Foundation.

Gary is also a well-known musician who began his professional career as an accordion player at the age of 9. He performs 1960s surf rock, traditional ethnic, and original accordion compositions with the Portsmouth-based group, the Serfs. Gary also hosts a radio show, "Polka Party," weekly on WUNH-FM in Durham.

Following the swim on February 26, at 5:00 p.m., Gary and his band, the Serfs, will play at a celebration party upstairs at Captain and Patty's restaurant, 90 Pepperrell Road (Route 103) in Kittery Point.

The purpose of this event is to raise awareness and funds for the preservation of lighthouses. The funds raised will be split evenly between the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF), and the foundation's local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses (FPHL). ALF, a nonprofit organization based in Rockland, Maine, cares for 23 historic lighthouses in the Northeast. FPHL cares for Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH, and Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine.

To donate or to purchase tickets for the post-swim party, visit www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org. I'll be at the party -- I hope to see you there!

Click here to see a map of the swim.

Click here to read more about Gary.

Blizzard at the Cuckolds Light

2011-01-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

Cuckolds Light in 2009

As the first major snowstorm of 2011 rages outside my windows here in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I've been thinking about the days when lighthouse keepers and their families lived at exposed light stations along our coast, enduring the worst nature could throw at them. One story of a winter storm at a New England lighthouse that made a major impression on me was related by Ramon "Kelly" Farrin.

Kelly lived with his wife and infant son at the Cuckolds Light Station on a small rocky island near Boothbay Harbor, Maine, for about two years, 1969–70. They were the last family to live at the Cuckolds before it became a males-only “stag” station. Entertainment for the Farrins consisted of TV watching, guitar playing, fishing, and walking around the island. Kelly once wrote, "They say lighthouses are romantic, but I do know that this one had quite a reputation concerning the divorce rate. I would say it takes a sturdy relationship to endure that much togetherness. There is no time apart unless the wife goes ashore alone."

During the Farrins’ second winter at the station, a major snowstorm struck the area. At first, Kelly wasn’t overly worried, as the family had weathered other storms and he had no reason to think this one would be any different. His concern grew as the keeper’s’ house creaked and groaned from the wind. In his words:

The keeper's house was demolished in 1977. (U.S. Coast Guard)

When daylight came sometime around 6:30 I got dressed and went out and looked around. . . . A higher than normal tide had been predicted on the evening news so we all figured that the water would be up close to the boathouse. . . . We were getting a little concerned, as we had never experienced wind like this on the island. We really had no accurate way to tell what it was as the old anemometer had broken a long time ago.

I went out again around 9 o’clock and by now I was getting more concerned as the wind wasn’t lessening and the tide, which had over two more hours to come in before reaching its full height was already washing well over the usual high water mark. It was around this time that the power went out and I started the generator. . . . On the east side of the house the waves were beginning to wash over the seawall and onto the side of the house. Again, this was normal for some of the more intense storms but at high tide, not with close to two hours left to come.

I went up on the catwalk around the front of the station. . . . From here I could see the whole island was awash except for the house. The waves were now washing across the front lawn (what we called our few blades of grass) and the boathouse was taking a real beating on the northeast side. . . .

My wife and I returned to our side of the house but I kept going outside to watch the action, sort of going outside and then back up to the tower. Looking down it didn’t seem so bad but the roar from the wind and then the blaring ofr the foghorn made things seem very spooky. . . .

When the tide finally turned the wind dropped almost as rapidly. It was nearly halfway out before the water stopped hitting the side of the house and boathouse. It took a few weeks but eventually the men from Group South Portland came and rebuilt the boatslip and repaired the damage.

Kelly Farrin shares many of his memories on his website, www.kellys-stuff.com.

The light was automated in late 1974 and the last keeper was removed. In many ways, I've never been a fan of the automaton and destaffing of light stations. But maybe it's a blessing that people aren't living at some of our lighthouses on days like this.

In May 2006, ownership of the Cuckolds Lighthouse was conveyed to a local nonprofit organization, the Cuckolds Fog Signal and Light Station Council.

New England Lighthouse Lovers: A Bright Light for Lighthouses

2011-01-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

From Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation:

With the New Year nearly upon us, I would like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to the New England Lighthouse Lovers for another job well done in 2010.

NELL may not have a particular lighthouse under its care, but the American Lighthouse Foundation is thankful for the many lights that your chapter has helped this year, as well as in years past.

Click here to read the rest of this story.

Cape Neddick "Nubble" Lighthouse with Christmas lights, 12/31/10 (#2)

2011-01-01T11:54:00.001-08:00

Cape Neddick "Nubble" Lighthouse with Christmas lights, 12/31/10, originally uploaded by nelights.

Another shot from last night's visit to the Nubble Light in York, Maine. The color in this one is a little less saturated, and I think I like it better.

Cape Neddick "Nubble" Lighthouse, 12/31/10

2011-01-01T09:32:00.001-08:00

After a New Year's Eve dinner in downtown Portsmouth, NH, last night, my wife and I headed up to York, Maine, to see the annual display of Christmas lights. It was a relatively warm night, which made it easy to set up my tripod and take some long exposures like this one. In past years, I've nearly gotten frostbite getting photos like this.

The lighthouse keeper's New Year's Eve

2010-12-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

The twin lights of Thacher Island

On New Year’s Eve, 1921, William Daggett, an assistant keeper at the Thacher Island Twin Lights off Rockport, Massachuetts, discovered that several geese had flown right into the lantern of the north tower, shattering two thick panes of glass.

Three geese were found dead inside the lantern, and two more were discovered at the base of the tower the following morning. Needless to say, the families had goose for New Year’s dinner that year.

Happy New Year!

The Hurricane of '38 at Dumpling Rock

2010-12-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

Dumpling Rock Light (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Octave Ponsart became keeper at Dumpling Rock Lighthouse, off Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in 1937, after working as an assistant at Great Point Light on Nantucket. Ponsart’s daughter, Seamond Ponsart Roberts, was born in 1940, while her parents lived on Dumpling Rock.

The worst hurricane in recorded New England history slammed into the south-facing coast on September 21, 1938. Roberts tells the story of the storm’s devastating impact on Dumpling Rock, as told to her by her parents:

On that gray Wednesday, September 21, 1938, my parents, my sister Bette and my cousin were scheduled to leave the Rock for a long-awaited vacation. It was to be their first vacation since the Depression.

Octave Ponsart

Assistant Keeper Henry Fontenot’s wife, May, helped Mom to pack and supplied gentle chatter as they were about to row ashore. They had the suitcases in the dory, ready to go, when the wind suddenly rose and the water got really rough. The storm came on quickly. “Just like that!” they would later say with a snap of the fingers.

Dad was not about to launch the dory in that kind of weather. He headed Mom, my sister Bette, and cousin Connie back to the house. Dad and Henry tried to secure the dory, but their efforts were fruitless and the boat was swept seaward. They headed for the oil house and the light tower to secure what they could.

The task of securing anything soon became impossible. Dad and Henry headed for the keeper’s house as waves began to wash the rocks, flooding the first floor. My father hung onto a doorknob on the front door as he hollered to my mother, sister, and cousin to get upstairs and go to the assistant keeper’s rooms on the lee side of the building. The dog, Rexena, was swimming in the living room.

Henry pointed seaward, and all he and Dad could see was foggy foam and mountainous combers heading directly for their rocky island. From what they could see, the waves were getting progressively larger. Dad said that even the first ones coming in looked like they would engulf the tower. At that point, they were both sure they would not survive.

Henry said, “Octave, I think we’re going to lose the light.” Dad nodded and they headed upstairs to be with the women and children. There was nowhere else to go. My father had been on lightships, and he said he had never seen such a “quick sea” develop. In quick succession many waves hit, breaking completely over the house and lighthouse.

The keepers had been doing carpentry in one of the bedrooms and had nails and boards ready. They nailed boards over the windows and braced the floors with the biggest spikes they had in the toolbox. The window glass was quickly broken and the whole house was wet inside. Outside, boards were being torn from their nails and the screeching noise was terrible.

Pieces of the roof tore off. The house shuddered with each wave, and the side facing the sea caved in and was leaning. Henry and May talked of lashing themselves to a mattress to try to make it to Round Hill. Dad argued they would never last.

May Fontenot was crying. She told my mother, “I think we are all going to die, but at least I know we have been such good friends. I’m so glad you’re here with me.” My mother cried too, because May was such a sweet person. Mom would tell me this story later and she’d always cry, saying, “That May, she was one of the best friends I ever had.” And she’d add, “We really thought we were going to die. In a few minutes, even.”

My mother, sister, and cousin were in shock, huddled on the bed, wrapped in sheets. My cousin had a massive nosebleed, apparently from fear, and Dad tried to help her. Then there was a noise “like a freight train or what an earthquake must sound like,” as Mom described it. Then came a tremendous long-lasting blast of water and a huge pounding shock with a splintering of wood. Those on the bed were hurled to the floor.

Henry and Dad knew something even more drastic had happened. The water on the first floor was now almost up to the ceiling. They opened the bedroom door and peered around the whirling water to see a bit of sky through the side of the living room and a massive obstruction where just before the ceiling and walls had been.

A huge piece of rock had been torn free by the hurricane waves, lifted up and hurled through the side of the first floor living room. Now it sat there, actually anchoring the house and lighthouse to Dumpling Rock.The rock had opened up a channel through the house, easing the flow of water entering and exiting the building now without too much of an obstruction. Henry and Dad turned back to report this, and May cried and cried.

Seamond at Cuttyhunk

Blow after blow came after that and yet the rock in the living room held firm. Mom said later when she sang the hymn, Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me, it had a new and much more personal meaning.The six remained upstairs through the dreadful night. When morning came and the waters had receded, they ventured downstairs.

Nothing was left. Nothing except Rexena, who had spent the storm in the linen closet, going to the top shelf as the water rose. This was proven by the dog’s footprints that had been left on each shelf.

The waters that swirled around Dumpling Rock were filled with debris, telephone poles, and pieces of homes and trees. There was seaweed on top of the light tower. The keeper’s quarters were in shambles. There were no clothes or furnishings or anything else left except a few canned goods still in a closet. A pile of canned goods was found a few weeks later, wedged between the rocks below the tide line, as well as one silver spoon inherited from a Cornell grandmother. On shore, Dad’s new car, which had been parked at the boat launch at Round Hill, was gone, probably washed into Buzzards Bay.

Roberts “learned to walk,” she says, “on the very rocks that were nearly a death trap for my parents and my sister in the 1938 hurricane.”

A close call at White Island, NH

2010-12-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

White Island Lighthouse is on the southernmost of the Isles of Shoals, a barren but fascinating group of islands several miles off the coast of New Hampshire and southern Maine. In the Coast Guard era at White Island, three men were assigned to the station; generally, there were two on duty at a time. I received the following story from Rev. Harold Roberts a couple of years ago. He was one of the Coast Guard keepers 1956-58. I never posted this online until now.

During the winter of 1956, we were experiencing one of those rare days at the Isles of Shoals when the sun was shining and the sea was placid, but it was still bitter cold. I decided to take the small double ended peapod dinghy we used to get on and off the island and row around to the back of the island get close to the seals that often lay on the rocks sunning themselves on such days. This day there was a larger number of seals lying on the rocks and I hoped I could get close to them with arousing them.

As I rowed around the back side of the island about 200 yards out I suddenly heard a roaring noise to my right. A huge wave, a groundswell about 20 feet high, was coming right at me. I swung the bow of the boat into the wave but not fast enough to prevent the boat from being overturned and me being dumped into the ocean.

The water was bitter cold and I was clothed with heavy foul weather gear including heavy robber boots. The weight of my boots filling with water pulled me down and prevented me from using my legs to kick myself to the surface. Judging from the pressure in my ears I must have sank at least 15 feet before I started slowly rising to the surface.

The air trapped in my jacket saved me from being pulled down to the bottom. As soon as I broke surface I started to sink again. My hands were so frozen I could not unclasp the boots that were preventing me from swimming. I knew I was in grave danger of drowning. In desperation and fear called out to God to save me.

Coast Guard crew at White Island, late 1980s

A moment later, the capsized dingy suddenly appeared right next to me. I was able to hold on to the boat to stay afloat. My next and most immediate problem was the cold. I was freezing to death. I was aware that a man can't stay alive very long exposed to those conditions. The other problem was I was several hundred yards off the island and no one knew I was in trouble. Charlie Martin and I were alone on the island and he was unaware of my predicament.

I must have fallen asleep from the cold and was not aware that the boat with me clinging half conscious to the side had drifted to the island and a gentle swell pushed us into the rocks. I had enough strength to climb up out of the water and make my way to the keeper’s house. Charlie Martin was in the kitchen when I came in the door. I must looked frozen which I was. Charlie got blankets for me to help me recover my body heat.

To this day I believe it was divine intervention that saved my life on that bitter cold winter day on the Isles of Shoals.

More high seas in the wake of Blizzard 2010

2010-12-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

The much ballyhooed Blizzard of 2010 wasn't what it was cracked up to be here on the New Hampshire Seacoast -- we got maybe 8-10" of snow instead of the 18-24" that was predicted. (I'm not complaining!) It was worse down on Boston's South Shore, with upwards of 16" of snow and much coastal flooding.

Arthur Richmond, author of the book Cape Cod Lighthouses and Lightships, sent me the spectacular photos below. Thanks to Art for the nifty images!

Minot's Ledge Lighthouse, off Scituate and Cohasset, Massachusetts
Photo by Arthur Richmond, used with permission

Scituate Lighthouse, Massachusetts
Photo by Arthur Richmond, used with permission

Stormy surf at Whaleback Ledge

2010-12-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

Whaleback Lighthouse, in the mouth of the Pistacaqua River a short distance from the shores of Kittery, Maine, is a classic granite wave-swept tower, built in 1872. I drove to Great Island Common in New Castle, New Hampshire, earlier today, hoping to catch some mammoth waves hitting Whaleback near high tide in the wake of the blizzard that just passed to the north. It was a little disappointing -- I've seen much higher waves in past storms. Still, the seas were seriously churned up, as you can see here.

Another successful year for the Flying Santa

2010-12-27T09:02:00.000-08:00


Edward Rowe Snow

The Flying Santa to New England's Coast Guard stations and lighthouses has successfully completed the 2010 flights -- the latest in a tradition that dates back to 1929. Maine pilot Bill Wincapaw started the flights as a way to say "thank you" to lighthouse keepers and their families, and the popular historian Edward Rowe Snow became involved in the mid-1930s and kept the tradition going through 1980.

Today, the nonprofit organization Friends of Flying Santa runs the program with visits to more than 30 Coast Guard and civilian locations in the Northeast. The tradition continues primarily as a way to say thanks to the Coast Guard families who do so much all year.

Santa at Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor, NH

Much of the expense of the flights is donated, but it still costs a good amount to keep the tradition going every year. Your donation of any size to Friends of Flying Santa is greatly appreciated by those who run the program and those who benefit from it.

Christmas Eve at Portland Head Light, 1886: "Even Santa Claus Was Afraid to be Out"

2010-12-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

The wreck of the Annie C. Maguire ranks among the most famous Maine shipwrecks for one reason. It occurred right next to one of the most popular lighthouses on the East Coast, Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

The ship we know as the Annie C. Maguire led two lives. The first incarnation was the extreme clipper ship Golden State, built on the East River in New York City in 1852-53. In early 1883, after an unusually long 30-year career in the China trade, the Golden State was converted to bark rigging.

Renamed the Annie C. Maguire, the bark sailed under the British flag in North and South America during the 1883-86 period. The Maguire was headed home to Quebec in December 1886, after leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina. On board with Captain Daniel O’Niel were his wife and 12-year-old son, two mates, and 13 crewmen.

The Maguire entered Casco Bay at about 11:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, with the intention of riding out the bad weather in Portland Harbor.A heavy sea was visible outside Portland Harbor that day, as a winter storm was raging offshore. At Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, a few miles from the harbor’s entrance, Keeper Joshua Freeman Strout was asked by a sheriff’s officer to keep an eye out for the ship, in case the captain decided to duck into Portland Harbor to take shelter from the storm.

Joshua Strout, courtesy of the Museum at Portland Head

Joshua Strout was a former sea captain who had become a lighthouse keeper at Portland Head in 1869 after a fall from a masthead forced him to give up life at sea. Joshua and his wife, Mary (Berry), raised 11 children at the station. Mary Strout served as an assistant keeper until 1877, when her son Joseph Woodbury Strout was named assistant. Joseph Strout went on to succeed his father as principal keeper in 1904, and he retired in 1928 after living for 59 years at Portland Head.

Joseph Strout was described as “a “bronzed, hardy little man, comfortably inclined to corpulence” in a 1927 article, in which he recalled the night the Annie C. Maguire was wrecked. Some accounts of the event claim the weather was clear, but Joseph Strout firmly stated otherwise: “The wind was howling a gale,” he said. “It was Christmas Eve, you know, and I guess even Santa Claus was afraid to be out."

Strangely, in an interview in 1929, Joseph Strout said it was snowing so hard “you couldn’t see a hand in front of you,” but that the night was calm and there was no wind. He said his father was on watch in the lighthouse and the “world as silent as death.” Windy or not, in both interviews Strout stressed the fact that it was snowing heavily.

At about 11:30 p.m., as Joshua Strout kept watch in the lighthouse tower, Joseph was preparing for bed. Suddenly, Joshua burst through the door of the keeper’s house and exclaimed, “All hands turn out! There’s a ship ashore in the dooryard!” Joseph fumbled as he put his socks and shoes back on, and then bolted down the stairs a half-dozen at a time.

Joseph Strout, courtesy of the Museum at Portland Head

When he emerged from the house, Joseph Strout was amazed to see the ship on the ledges no more than 100 feet from the lighthouse tower, listing to one side. As soon as it had run onto the ledge, the captain had the crew take down the sails and lower the anchors. According to some accounts, Mary Strout shed light on the scene by burning blankets that had been cut into strips and soaked in kerosene.

There are varying versions of how the Strouts rescued the people from the ship. In 1927, Joseph Strout said that the water was calm enough to permit the men “to jump ashore, almost without help, so hard on the ledge was the vessel.”Some have claimed the Strouts rescued everyone with a breeches buoy. Other sources claim the Strouts put a ladder across the ship, and all aboard made it safely across the ladder to solid ground, which seems more likely. It was too short a distance to warrant a line from the shore to the ship, and there would have been a rush to get everyone off as quickly as possible in case the Maguire broke apart.

Mary Strout soon had hot coffee and food ready for the shipwreck victims in an engine room. They were ravenous after their long voyage with little more to eat than salt beef and macaroni. Joseph Strout said in 1929:

The day before we had killed eight chickens so that we could have a big feed on Christmas. Ma made all eight into the best pie you ever tasted. But it didn’t make no impression on that crew of three-quarter starved blotters though. I only got one plateful. But we should worry. A feller doesn’t get wrecked often, and when it happens where he can eat after starving for weeks, you can’t blame him for passing his plate until it’s all gone. Once they got that chicken pie into them, the whole gang wanted to stay. They loafed around three days and ate most of the food we had while Dad did his best to convince them that we were a lighthouse and not a life saving station.

Joshua Strout was put in charge of the ship by the deputy sheriff, and the wreck was soon surveyed. The New York Times reported on December 27 that the Maguire’s bottom was “badly stove.” It was thought that the ship would likely break apart in the next storm, so Joshua Strout ordered that everything removable be brought ashore as quickly as possible. The Maguire broke apart in a storm about a week after the wreck.

Joseph Strout’s son, John A. Strout, was born at the lighthouse in 1891. He followed the family tradition by becoming an assistant keeper under his father, on his twenty-first birthday. On the same day, John A. Strout painted an inscription on the ledge where the Maguire was wrecked. He first had to chip much of the huge rock to make a flat surface on which to paint, and the lettering was applied with a mixture of paint, mortar, and sand.

The exact wording and spelling of the inscription have varied over the years and a wooden cross that once topped the rock is gone, but the tradition of repainting it continues as a reminder of the Christmas Eve when a once proud ship almost hit the lighthouse.

This is a shortened version of a chapter from my book, Great Shipwrecks of the Maine Coast, published in 2010 by Commonwealth Editions.

Destaffing of Canadian lighthouses on hold

2010-12-21T09:24:00.000-08:00


Machias Seal Island Light Station, New Brunswick, still has resident keepers.

Every lighthouse in the United States is now automated, as are most lighthouses around the world. Along with automation, most light stations have had their keepers removed. In the U.S., there's only one resident keeper still employed by the government, at Boston Light.

The Canadian government has kept about 50 stations staffed, on both the east and west coasts of the country. Most are in British Columbia and in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Canadian Coast Guard had been working toward the destaffing of these stations, but a senate committee has now recommended that the keepers be kept in place.

"A lightstation-by-lightstation approach to reviewing staffing requires appropriate guidelines and thorough consultations," Senator Dennis Patterson said in a statement. "The views of lightkeepers, user groups, coastal communities and other interested parties, both in the local areas and elsewhere need to be taken into account."

Click here to read more about this story.

You can also read the full senate report (PDF file) by clicking here.

A Great Day for the Flying Santa

2010-12-18T15:48:00.000-08:00


Santa with children of Coast Guard families at Station Portsmouth Harbor

New England's Flying Santa is an 81-year-old tradition that began as a way to honor lighthouse keepers and lifesavers in remote coastal locations, and it continues today as a fun way of saying thank you to Coast Guard personnel and their families.

The first Flying Santa was Maine pilot Bill Wincapaw, who started flying float planes over Maine's light stations on Christmas 1929. Wincapaw dropped packages containing magazines, toiletries, toys, and other items for the keepers and their families as a show of gratitude for their devotion to safe navigation. Massachusetts historian Edward Rowe Snow became involved with the flights in the 1930s and took them over in the 1940s. Snow continued as the Flying Santa through 1980. The following year, the flights were picked up by the Hull Lifesaving Museum, near Boston, with Ed McCabe playing Santa.

The museum kept the tradition going until a separate nonprofit organization, the Friends of Flying Santa, was founded. Brian Tague, a photographer living in Stoneham, Massachusetts, became involved around 1990. He eventually became president of Friends of Flying Santa, and it's his work that has made it possible for the annual flights to continue well into the 21st century. Presents are no longer dropped; today a helicopter lands at Coast Guard stations from Connecticut to northern Maine, and presents are given to the children of Coast Guard families.

This year, the Flying Santa visited 33 Coast Guard stations and lighthouses. The costs of the helicopters and pilots were all donated. At the final stop of today's Maine/New Hampshire flight, Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor in New Castle, New Hampshire, an award was presented to Brian Tague for his 20 years of dedication to this wonderful tradition. Below are some photos from the event.


Waiting for Santa


About to land


L to R: Brian Tague of Friends of Flying Santa, Santa Claus, and Senior Chief John Roberts of Station Portsmouth Harbor


Capt. James McPherson, the Coast Guard's commander in northern New England, presented Brian Tague with an award

"He (Brian Tague) and his staff of volunteers really go to great lengths to add a very special touch for our Coast Guard families in New England during the holiday season," Capt. McPherson said.


Brian Tague called it an honor to be involved with the Flying Santa tradition, and he thanked everyone involved with the flights

Everyone gathered inside the mess at the Coast Guard station and the children waited eagerly for their gifts

Another happy customer

Some of the personnel of Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor posed with Santa

This video clip shows Santa's copter leaving the station and passing Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse

For more on the Flying Santa, visit www.FlyingSanta.org

Cleveland Ledge Light sells for $190,000

2010-12-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

The federal government's auction of Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, has ended, with someone using the name "hadley" coming out on top with a high bid of $190,000.

Here's a video that was posted back when the lighthouse first became available through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act:

This lighthouse is unique -- the only Art Moderne-style lighthouse in the Northeast. I'm hoping that the new owner will consider providing some degree of public access, if it can be safely achieved. Even one open house per year would make us lighthouse buffs happy.

Pomham Rocks’ Lighthouse Santa Rides Again

2010-12-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

In recent years, when the calendar turns to the month of December, residents along Rhode Island’s northern Narragansett Bay can look forward to Pomham Rocks’ Lighthouse Santa taking to the water with his trusty “elves” to help spread some Christmas joy.

Photo by Jen McCaffery

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Cleveland Lighthouse Covered in Ice - WJW

2010-12-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

It's not New England, but I had to share this:

Cleveland Lighthouse Covered in Ice - WJW

A Visit to Borden Flats Lighthouse

2010-12-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

On June 16, 1880, a sum of $25,000 was appropriated for a lighthouse on Borden Flats, a dangerous reef at the mouth of the Taunton River near the busy textile center of Fall River, Massachusetts.

The cast-iron tower, which doubled as living quarters for keepers, was erected on a caisson. The lighthouse was battered in the hurricane of September 21, 1938. The storm left the tower with a pronounced tilt, which it still has. A new, much wider cylindrical base was subsequently added to provide more protection.

The light was automated in 1963. In June 2010, under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, Borden Flats Light was bought at auction by Nick Korstad of Portland, Oregon.

I had the opportunity to visit this lighthouse with Nick and his mother, Cindy, on December 14, 2010. The temperature was in the low 20s when we were picked up (in the boat seen above) at the Borden Light Marina in Fall River by members of the Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation Team Bristol (Rhode Island).

We climbed up a short ladder from the boat to the wide base around the lighthouse. It was obvious that birds -- seagulls, mostly -- spend lots of time on the base, which was littered with shells and the bleached bones of birds. The concrete base, added after the 1938 hurricane, is battered but intact.


Cindy and Nick Korstad outside on the base of the lighthouse


The entry level now provides storage space for batteries

The structure is in need of some TLC. The Coast Guard did some work on it in 2002, but some of the exterior and interior surfaces are in need of scraping and painting.

Overall, it appears to be in solid shape with no problems that appear to need emergency attention. The interior is, for the most part, dry and clean.

The second level includes a couple of recessed storage areas

Nick is dedicated to the idea of providing some kind of public access to the lighthouse in the future. He enjoys all aspects of lighthouse technology and history, and he's genuinely excited at the prospect of fixing up the lighthouse and making it easier for visitors to enter safely.

In general, I'm not a big fan of the government's auctioning of lighthouses. In another decade or so, we'll be able to look at the condition of the lighthouses that have been auctioned, and we'll know if the program has been a success. In this case, however, I'm very optimistic. I look forward to monitoring the progress of the restoration of Borden Flats Light.


Cindy and Nick Korstad outside on the lantern room deck

Cleveland Ledge bidding war continues

2010-12-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

The intense three-way bidding war for Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, continues. The high bid is currently $190,000.

You can follow the auction here.

Keepers of Moose Peak Light

2010-12-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

The first lighthouse was built on Mistake Island, about five miles from Jonesport, Maine, in 1826. The light served as a guide to the shipping channel known as Main Channel Way.

The present 57-foot brick tower was built in 1851. The light was automated in 1972 and the Coast Guard keepers were removed. In 1982 a military team blew up the keeper's house as a training exercise.

The lighthouse is currently available to a suitable new steward under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

A group of citizens in the area, in cooperation with the Town of Jonesport, have formed a new nonprofit corporation called the Keepers of Moose Peak Light. The group hopes to take ownership of and then care for this important part of the area's heritage.

The group is recruiting members to help with financial support. All memberships enrolled before January 1, 2011, will be charter memberships.

You can read more about this new effort on the group's Facebook page.

I wish the Keepers of Moose Peak Light all the best in their endeavor to preserve this important piece of Downeast Maine coastal history.

Photo Exhibit Reception on Friday, 12/17, Rosewood Inn at Rye, New Hampshire

2010-12-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

Portland Head Lighthouse by Francis Goodhue

This coming Friday, December 17, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., the Rosewood Inn at Rye will host a reception for the opening of an exhibit featuring my photography and the photography of Francis Goodhue. Like me, Francis is an active member of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses.

Francis is a generalist with particular interests in studio and candid portraits, landscapes, flowers, and pets, while I specialize in lighthouses and other maritime subjects.

Matted and framed photos will be available for sale, as well as unframed matted photos in prices starting at $12. Refreshments will be served. There will also be American Lighthouse Foundation 2011 calendars on sale ($10 each) to benefit Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses.

The Rosewood Inn at Rye is at 150 Lafayette Road (Route 1) in Rye, New Hampshire. Call 603-964-9700 or visit www.rosewoodatrye.com for more information.

I hope I'll see you there!

Boston Light by Jeremy D'Entremont

Marblehead Lighthouse (Massachusetts) with Christmas lights

2010-12-12T09:33:00.001-08:00

Some people think that the cast-iron, 105-foot-tall lighthouse on Marblehead Neck on Boston's North Shore is, well, kind of plain. It certainly doesn't look plain in the holiday season, thanks to the efforts of the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor. They're responsible for the annual display of multicolored lights, and also for a display of red, white, and blue lights around the Fourth of July every year.

The photo below shows what the 1896 lighthouse looks like the rest of the year. Personally, I like it for its uniqueness -- it's the only lighthouse of its type in the New England states. There are some similar lighthouse towers in Florida and in the mid-Atlantic.

Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse auction heating up

2010-12-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

There's a major bidding war happening in the GSA's auction of Cleveland Ledge Light in Buzzards Bay. The bidding's now up to $170,000, and the closing date has been moved back to Dec. 13. The high bidder at this moment is someone using the name "hadley." I don't know if there's any connection to the late Len Hadley, who was a great volunteer for the American Lighthouse Foundation. In any case, I wish the high bidder the best in their efforts to preserve this beautiful and unique lighthouse.

You can follow the auction here.

Santa makes a Jolly Appearance at Avery Point Lighthouse

2010-12-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

Why Santa was recently seen making a grand entrance topside at Avery Point Lighthouse in Groton, Connecticut, is anyone’s guess. Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.

For the rest of this story, click here.

ALF’s Cape Cod Chapter Keeps a Steady Watch at Race Point Light Station

2010-12-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.

There are times when lighthouse preservation efforts exhibit such consistency and success that we tend not to readily notice their uncommon dedication and steady achievements as time passes.

As the year 2010 comes to a close, one project within the American Lighthouse Foundation that exemplifies this notion is Race Point Light Station.

Click here for the rest of this story.

Coast Guard Auxiliary Spreads Holiday Cheer at Hospital Point

2010-12-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Seen in front of Hospital Point Lighthouse in Beverly, Massachusetts, in this photo are members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary North Shore Division Lighthouse Team, just after they raised the holiday wreath on the lighthouse tower. (Photo by Barbara McGowan.)

"This is an annual tradition that takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving and we all look forward to it," says Philip Karwowski of the USCG Auxiliary.

Hospital Point Light Station serves as the home of the commander of the First Coast Guard District, currently Rear Admiral Daniel A. Neptun.

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse Looking Bright for the Holidays

2010-12-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

For several years, the volunteers of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses - a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation - have been decorating Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, New Hampshire, with a display of Christmas lights. This year is no exception, as seen in these photos by Bob Trapani.

L to R: Jeremy D'Entremont, William Marshall, and Ross Tracy of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.

NBC-TV News Report on Faulkner's Island Light, Connecticut

2010-12-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

On November 23, 2010, Ryan Hanrahan of NBC 30 (Connecticut) did a report on the restoration of Faulkner's Island Lighthouse in Guilford, CT. Check it out below.

Here comes that Flying Santa Claus again

2010-12-04T15:18:00.000-08:00

Photo by Brian Tague

Friends of Flying Santa, a nonprofit organization, will be delivering toys to more than 600 children of Coast Guard families stationed in New England this holiday season, keeping true to the tradition established back in 1929 by aviator William Wincapaw.

Capt. Wincapaw and his successor, author and historian Edward Rowe Snow, believed that these Christmas missions of good cheer were important to recognize the lifesaving crews and families who kept watch along our coast.

For more about this wonderful tradition, click here.

There's a detailed history of the Flying Santa here.

A Touch of Christmas Shines Bright at ALF’s Gift Store and Interpretive Center

2010-12-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

The annual Festival of Lights event along Rockland’s (Maine) downtown Main Street, which occurred on November 27-28, 2010, is a time when businesses outfit their storefronts in a festive manner as part of a weekend celebration for the holidays.

The American Lighthouse Foundation’s Gift Store and Interpretive Center, located at 464 Main Street in Rockland, once again joined in on the festivities by decorating the organization’s storefront for Christmas.
Click here to read more.

Cleveland Ledge Light auction extended

2010-12-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

The auction for Cleveland Ledge Light has been extended; the current posted closing date is December 6. The high bid as of the afternoon of December 3 is $60,000.

Click here to check the latest on the auction.

Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse auction

2010-11-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

Under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, Cleveland Ledge Light in Buzzards Bay -- near Bourne, Massachusetts -- was offered to a suitable applicant, such as a nonprofit group or community. There were no applications, so the unique 1943 lighthouse -- built in the Art Moderne style -- is currently up for auction to the general public.

You can monitor the auction by clicking here.

You can see photos from a recent inspection here.

As of the afternoon of Nov. 26, the high bid is only $14,000. The auction is scheduled to close on Monday, Nov. 29, but it could be extended.

I haven't had the opportunity to get inside this lighthouse, so I can't comment on its interior condition. There's no doubt that it needs some restoration, and taking on its preservation will be daunting for its new owner. Let's hope the person or persons who win the auction have a full comprehension of the challenges of caring for an offshore lighthouse. This is a one-of-a-kind structure that deserves to be preserved as a historic icon.

For more on this lighthouse, click here.

Latest on Faulkner's Island Lighthouse restoration, CT

2010-11-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Faulkner's Light Brigade continues the restoration of the Faulkner's Island Lighthouse off Guilford, CT. International Chimney Corporation has been hired to do the work, which includes washing, repointing, and repainting the exterior of the tower, as well as interior repairs.

This video from November 19 shows the latest work.

Connie Small - clip #1

2010-11-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

Connie Small (1901-2005) was married to Elson Small, lighthouse keeper at several stations in Maine: Lubec Channel, Avery Rock, Seguin Island, and St. Croix River. Elson anc Connie finished their lightkeeping years at Portsmouth Harbor Light, New Hampshire, in 1948. Connie went on the write the book The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife when she was 85 years old. In this clip, recorded when Connie was 97 years old, she recalls having electricity for the first time.

"Thriller" in Portsmouth, NH, 2010 Halloween Parade

2010-11-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

OK, it has nothing to do with lighthouses, but I thought you might enjoy seeing this video I shot at last night's Halloween parade in Portsmouth.

Beavertail Lighthouse receives 2010 Rhody Award

2010-10-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association for their recognition by Preserve Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission as a volunteer organization completing a major restoration project. The award was presented to BLMA past president Richard Sullivan and vice president Varoujan Karentz at Newport’s Tennis Hall of Fame on October 21, 2010.

The 10-month, $327,000 restoration of Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown, Rhode Island, was recently completed. The restoration of other buildings continues.

Beavertail Lighthouse is one of the most visitor-friendly lighthouses in New England, with a hard-to-beat combination of spectacular surroundings and rich history (it's the third oldest light station in America). There's an excellent museum and shop in one of the keeper's houses, and a small aquarium in another building. Hopefully, the restored lighthouse tower will soon be opened to the public, making Beavertail even more of lighthouse lover's dream destination.

Click here for more on the award.

Click here for more about Beavertail Lighthouse.

Faulkner's Island Lighthouse Restoration October 20, 2010

2010-10-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

The latest on the restoration of Faulkner's Island Lighthouse in Guilford, Connecticut.

Help the Burnt Island Lighthouse in Boothbay Harbor, Maine

2010-10-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

Connie Conover of Curtis Island crosses the bar

2010-10-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Garrett Elliott “Connie” Conover, Jr., the longtime volunteer "keeper" of Curtis Island Lighthouse in Camden, Maine, has died after a long illness at the age of 81. Connie, along with his wife Deedee, dedicated much of his life to the care and preservation of one of New England's prettiest light stations, nestled in Camden's spectacularly beautiful harbor.

I'm sorry I never had the chance to meet Connie. My friend Bob Trapani knew him, and Bob has posted a very nice tribute. Click here to read it.

Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse fall newsletter

2010-10-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

The latest newsletter of the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, is now online -- click here.

Masonry and Iron Restoration Projects Begin at Rockland Breakwater Light

2010-10-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Summer may have come to a close, but that doesn’t mean restoration projects at Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse are cooling off. On September 20, 2010, J.B. Leslie Company of South Berwick, Maine, mobilized at the lighthouse and began masonry restoration work on the granite pier that supports the light tower and keeper’s house, as well as a project to rehabilitate the ironwork along the lantern and exterior gallery.

Click here for the full story.

Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.

Oregon lighthouse enthusiast buys Borden Flats Lighthouse

2010-10-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

Nick Korstad, 29, of Beaverton, Oregon, and his parents recently bought the 1881 Borden Flats Lighthouse in Fall River, Massachusetts. Korstad is a lighthouse fan and has done research for a book he hopes to write. He intends to operate the lighthouse as a tourist attraction.

Click here for the complete story.

At the top of the light

2010-10-10T07:18:00.001-07:00

My friend John Whalen, owner of Cider Mill Press, took this photo of me a while back inside the lantern room at Portsmouth Harbor Light, NH. The lens -- and my hands -- are not as big as they look here; John used a wide angle lens.

I usually don't like photos of me, but I think this one is kind of cool. Thanks, John!